Sharpie Design Gift Mugs

Pinterest is overflowing with DIY Sharpie mugs with cool designs, quotes and doodles, and the idea is here to stay. The great thing about giving a mug as a gift is that it’s something that people might actually use, and a personalized mug is even better. You can fill it with small bonus gifts, or use it as a planter for herbs or succulent plants.

I personalized these mugs with a black Sharpie marker (imagine my surprise finding them in South Africa!) by drawing a monogram of each friend’s name and a picture I thought suits her personality best. Now, I’m not the best doodler, but it was much easier than I thought. I Googled a clip-art version of the picture I wanted to draw, practised a couple of times on paper, and then went for it! This is my tried and tested version of how to make Sharpie mugs, and since Christmas, the ink has stayed put!

Here’s how:

Step 1: Have your designs ready and practise a couple of times before drawing on the mug.

Step 2: Wipe the mugs with a clean cloth and make sure it’s completely dry before starting. Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Step 3: Use a Sharpie or permanent marker to draw a picture or monogram on the one side of the mug and allow it to dry before drawing on the other side. If you mess up, dip a cotton swab in acetone to fix the mistake, or start over by wiping the surface clean. Repeat step 2 and start again. This took me a while, so don’t despair!

Step 4: Once your designs are finished and dry, place the mugs in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. When the time is up, open the oven door slightly and allow the mugs to cool down completely before removing them from the oven. This may take a couple of hours.

Step 5: Now you’re ready to give the mugs a final coat so that the ink will stay put. I skipped this step at first and the ink rubbed off with some soap and water. Place the mug on it’s side and spray a coat of clear enamel over the design. Allow the coat to dry completely before turning it over and spraying the other side. Give it another coat on each side and allow to dry.

Now you have super cute sharpie mugs to fill with goodies and give away as Christmas and birthday gifts!